Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Other Food Gardeners

Turns out there are lots more folks doing food gardening around the country-- and even around the southeast-- than myself. I'll keep adding to this list as I discover more food garden entrepreneurs. For now, this is who I've found:

Rashid Nuri with Truly Living Well Farms in AtlantaI met this guy during my stay in Atlanta January, '10. He farms stray pieces of land, say, adjacent to an apartment complex. He'll approach the ownership and ask, "If I clean up that kudzu over there, can I farm on that half acre?" He's currently got three plots around southside Atlanta and it working on securing a fourth. He also does food garden consultations, edible landscapes and raised-bed installations. "There's a spiritual side to this work," Rashid told me, "I concentrate building the soil, and I let God grow the food."

Farmer D in Atlanta
I heard a lot about this guy and his business while at the American Community Gardening Association "Train the Trainer" workshop in Atlanta. From his website: "Forget any stereotype of the farmer you may hold. Let go of any notion of the humble rustic in overalls of yesteryear and even the jacketed corporate farmer of today. Farmer D is an entirely new brand of farmer. With a thumb more “green” than any of his predecessors. Daron ‘Farmer D’ Joffe, is the future’s farmer. He lives to make a difference in the world. He farms because of a passion for the earth and the biodynamic methodologies that can save it." His services include food gardening consultations, school garden installations, organic lawn and garden care, as well as on-going individualized food gardening maintenance. Farmer D also has several garden stores in the Atlanta area.

Lindsay Mann with Sustenance Design in AtlantaThis lady is another urban agriculturalist/edible landscaper that I learned of while in Atlanta. Her business has designed and installed edible schoolyards, urban farms, edible rain-gardens, and residential food gardens.

Bountiful Backyards in Durham, NCThis business, explicitly social entrepreneurial in nature, is about replacing lawns and turf grass with fruit trees, berry bushes and vegetable and herb garden in order to recreate a localized foodscape. They offer food garden consultations, installations, and workshops. They also work with school gardens.

City Farm Boy in Vancouver, British ColumbiaIn Jan '10, I used a free ticket to visit my sister in Seattle. During my stay, we made a run up to Vancouver for two days, and while there, I had the opportunity to track down Ward Teulon, the City Farm Boy, himself. At that time, he'd been in business for twelve years. Like Farmer D and Rashid at Truly Living Well Urban Farms, he does residential food garden consultations, builds raised beds and the like. More and more, however, he is tending towards the urban farming end of things. Last year at eight different sites within five kilometers of his home, he cultivated a total of 8000 sq.ft to supply a 30 member CSA. Spring/Summer 2010 he plans to increase his CSA to 50 members without increasing his bed-space.

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2/27/2010
Rox Sen let me know about this "Meet SPIN Farmers" website (i.e.,SPIN, Small Plot INtensive). This list has an additional 20+ farmers, some of whom are doing food gardening and urban agriculture. Others are implementing micro-farming in rural landscapes.

Let me know if you know of others doing this work, I'll include them.

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3/5/2010

Vickie Spray, a local is also doing food gardening in the area. It's great having a local peer in the business. If I'm too busy or you're interested in hiring a cool lady instead of myself, take a peak at her website: http://yourowngardenexpressions.vpweb.com/